Inclosed quick-make and quick-break switch



March 30,1926.

1,578,422 B. E. G ETCHELL INcLosED QUICK MAKE AND QUICK BREAK swITcH Filed Jan, 15, 1925 2 sheets-Sheet l lNvENToR B.E.Getc]ze]l,

RNEY

March 30 1926.

EJE. GETCHELL ICLOSED QUICK MAKE AND QUICK BREAK SWITCH Filed Jan. 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Smev 2 I4 f AT RNEY Patented "Maru 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

BENJAMIN E.. GETCHELL, OF '.PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIG-NOR TO THE TRIUM- BULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

COBYORATION F CONNECTICUT.

0F PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT,

INcLosED QUICK-MAKE AND QUICK-Bami swl'rcn.

Application mea January 1s, 192s. serial natia-,isa

To @ZZ whom it may. concern.' l

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN E. GET- CHELL, a citizen of the United States of America., and residing at Plainville, in the county of Hartford and StateA of C`onnecti-` of this invention is to provide a quick-make and quick-break means which will operate immediately, positively and independently7 of the position of the operating handle after the movement of the contact has once started.

Another object is to provide a quick-make and quick-break means many parts of which can be made of sheet interengage to form ay quick-make and quickbreak means, some of .which Jfunction as spacing washers Jfor aligning the parts -so as to co-act with other parts of the construction and one or more of which isadapte to co-act with the box and cover interlock-.

ing. means. i f Another object is to provide a spring` operated quick-make and quick-break means of this type so constructed that the switch will be manually operable even should the spring break while in use.

Another object is to provide a construction in which the operating spring is normally securely held in 'position but may be easily and quickly removed or replaced if so desired.

Still another Objectis to provide an enclosed switch construction in which a wire or rond-like switch crank may be mounted and connected witha switch inside the' box and may co-operatively engage with an external operating handle which handle may be of cast` sheet or wire-drawn metal as may b'e desired. l The parts are so constructed that they can metal, some 4or which 12 and be readily/made and assembled.A In its preferred Jform, the' invention contemplates the mounting of a more or less standard type of switch within a-box and the provision of an operating 4handle suitably sup-ported in one side of the box.v Inside of the boxis an operatin crankv havingl one end pivoted in a hub o the handle and oted in the opposite side of the b ox. The

`operating handle has a lost motion connection with an intermediate member 'and the intermediate member has a further lost motion connection with the switch operating crank. A switch operating'spring member is connected to the intermediate` member of 'of a construci.

the handle hub inside the box.

Fig. 1fis a perspective view tion embodying the improvements of my invention, the cover of open and the switch being shownf in the' closed circuit position.

. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view showwith theswitch inthe ing the box closed open circuit position.v 4

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the hub of a modified handle.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional viewl showing thev main parts of the quick-break mechanism'inside the box, the parts being in the .open .circuit position, beingv omitted.

Fig. 5 is a similar' fragmentarysectional d view showing the switch in the closed circuit; position.

'Figi 6 is a perspective view ofthe handle and hub parts and the end of the interior actuating crank.

The-box may be ofany suitable construction having, for instance, a body 7 and a hinged cover 8. Suitable means may be provided for interlocking the switch mechanism and the cover, oted latch 9, having a hook 10, adapted to engage a pin 11 on the cover, when the cover is closed and the switchis in the closed circuit position. This pin 11 operates in a slot engages the shoulder 13 when, the cover is closed so as to retract the latchv 9 and disengage the locking finger 15 from the notch in the disc 16.

The switch mechanism proper may have any suitable type of stationary contacts 17 and movable switch .blades 18 supported on an insulating base 21. When a plurality of and the cover 85 as, for instance, the pivthe other end piv- I the box being shown blades are employed, they may all be connected by an insulating cross bar 19.

The operating handle 22 may be of any suitable construction such as cast, sheet or wire drawn metal, but preferably is a casting. The actuating crank 23'may be of any suitable shape and may be formed, for instance, of a wire or rod bent to the desired shape.' The crank 23 is operatively connect-` ed to the movable switch contacts 18 in any desired manner, as by one or more hoo-ks- 24 secured to the insulating cross bar 19.

The hub of the operating handle is made up 'of a series of sheet metal members suitably secured together. When the handle 22 e is of sheet metal (Fig. 6) a. washer 26 mounted in a hole in the side of the box forms a bearing for the hub, but when handle 22 is a casting washer 26`Inay be omitted and a corresponding boss may be cast integral with the handle, as shown in Fig. 3. In either case a notched locking washer 16 is mounted inside the box against the inner wall thereof. l 1

- The washer 27 may be' suiliciently largeto project beyond the edge of the locking washer 16 and assist in positioning the point.

15 of the latch 9.

One or more spacing washers 28 may be employed.v

One ormore of the Washers 29 and 30 and also some of the other washers may have central openings for the cud 3l of the actuating crank. All of these washers and handle 22 may be suitably secured together, Y for instance, by means of rivets. The opposite end 32 ofthe lactuating crank is preferably pivoted in the opposite side' of the box.. A

f washer 33 surrounds washer 29 and these .two have a lost motion ylug and slot connection 34, so that they have a limited angle ef independent rotation. This washer 33 is also provided with stop lu s 35 :and 36, which projectv on opposite si es of the arm 37 of the actuating crank 23. Thiswasher 33 also has a lug 38 hinged to a. rod 39,

' whose opposite end is slidabl engaged in a slotted guide 40, which has ngers to overstand the end of the spring 41.

When the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the spring 41 on the rod 39 forces the washer 33, so that the lug 36 presses against the `crank arm 37 and holds it against the stationary stop 42 with the switch in the open circuit position. A stop similar to 42 may be secured symmetrically Atherewith on the opposite wall of the box.

In order to close the switch, it is necessary i .that the latch 9 be retracted from the notched washer 16, but this requirement is taken care `of automatically by means of the pin 11 on the cover which engages the shoulder 13 on the latch and thus disengages the locking iin er 15 from the noteh in the disc 16 when t e cover is closed as it should be before the switch is closed. As

`the switch handle is swung 'in a clockwise direction as viewed from the right hand side of the switch, the hub of the handle rotates the disc 29, so as to take up the play of the lug and slot 34. Continued movement of the pressure tomove the parts intothe position shown in Figs. 1 `and 5, which closes the circuit with a positive snap action. This circuit closing movement is limited by the abutment of the left hand arm of crank 23 against a stop 20 secured to inner left hand wall of the box (Fig. l2).

Reverse motion lof the handle 22 causes' the lug 36 to pick up the crank larm 37 and thus start the-disengagementof the switch 4blades from the stationary contacts 17. Before they are disengaged, however, the point of the connect-ion between the. thrust rod 39.

and the lug 38 passes beyond the central plane of the throwing'mechanism yand suddenly exerts a powerful pressure to move the crank 23 to open.v circuit position;

It will thus be'seen that both the opening Yand closing movements are placed beyond the control of l theA operatorI immediately after the movement of the contacts has started, so that the possibility of arcing is substantially minimized and complete movement in both opening and closing directionsl is assured.

The spring 41 is loosely mounted lu on the pivoted thrust rod 39 with one end abutting against a head on the rod. To secure the spring in position, it is merely slipped upon the rod and forced backso that the rod may be slipped into the slotted guide member 40 and, when released, the spring and rod will be securely retained in position by means of the bent-over ends of the slotted guide.

to reverse the attaching movement. The members 2O and 42 act as sto s for the internal crank 23, and the switc is operative by means of the external handle even should the switch-throwing spring 41 be broken V'while in use but, insuch a case, "the switch will not act withits normal quick-make and quick-break movement.

I claim:

To remove the spring it is merely necessary 1. In an electric switch, a casing, a switch 'I in the casing, operating means for the switch, a switch throwing spring operably connected at one end with the operating means, a guide bar for said spring and an' abutment for one end of said spring, said abutment having an-open ended slot to detachably receive said guide bar and having said concentrically mounted member, said' vsheet metal members, an annular membersurrounding .one of said members and having a lost motion connection therewith, an actuating crank supported in one of said members, said annular member having a lost motion connection with said crank and a quick make and quick break spring member .connected to said annular member.

3. An inclosed switch including a box, fixed and movable switch contacts within the lbox, a crank within the box and having operable connection with the movable contacts, means for limiting the movement of said crank, a handle outside the box and having a lost-motion connection with said crank and spring pressed means responsive to the movement of the handle for operating the switch with a snap action, the said means including a spring and a. support therefor extending through said spring and normally maintaining the handle in spring-pressed relation with said crank and the said crank being freely rotatable to move the switch into fully open or fully closed position when said spring is disabled.

4. An inclosed quick breakswitch comprising'a box. a handle having a hub mounted in one wall of said box. a latch engaging part of said hub, an actuating crank pivoted in said hub, a member mounted concentrically with said hub and having a lost motion connection with part of said hub and a quick break spring member connected with concentrically mounted member having a lost motlon connection with said crank.

5. An inclosed qulck break switch comprising a box, a handle having a hub mounted in one wall of said box, a member mounted concentrically with said hub and having la lost motion connection therewith and having projecting lugs, an actuating crank pivoted in said hub and having an .arm extending between said lugs, a stationary stop for said crank and a quick break spring member connected to said concentrically mounted member.

6. An inclosed quick break switch comprising a box, a handle having a hub mounted to rotate in one wall of said box, said hub comprising a series of sheet metal members, a latch pivoted to the side of said box, and engaging one of said members, an annular member surrounding' another of said members and having spaced lugs, an actuat# ing crankpivoted in one or more of said members and having an arm adapted to swing between said lugs and a quick break spring connected to said yannular member, one of said members overstanding the edge of said latch member.

7- An inclosed switch including a box, fixed and movable contacts within the box, a crank-within the box having operable connection with the Amovable contacts, means limiting the movement of said crank, a handle outside the box and having a lost motion connection with the crank and spring means responsive to the movement of the handle foroperating the switch with a snap action, the said spring means normally maintaining spring pressure between the said handle and said crank and said handle being rotatable to fully open and fully close the switch independently of said spring means Asaid spring means including a coiled spring and a rod extending through and supportingV said spring.

8. .In an electric switch a pivotally supported memberhaving a radial projection and two lateral projections, a crank pivotally supported in said member and having a p0rtion extending' between said lateral projections, a rod connected to said radial projection, a bifureated hook shaped guide for Said rod and a spring on said rod abutting against said guide for throwing said member with a snap action.`

9. In an electric switch, a casing, a switch abutment having an open ended slot to detachably receive said guide bar and having a projection adjacent said slot extending over the end of said' spring to retain said spring in operative position and stops :tor said operating means independent of said guide bar and spring. y BENJAMIN E. GETCHELL. 

